What are you?

Eri gasped as Erolass opened the door and stopped dead in her tracks. Everything was so... gorgeous. Everything that Erolass had showed her so far was so different from her world - so pretty.

"Uhm..." she stammered, blinking a couple times. "Sure?" She nodded at Erolass, remembering the wounds on her leg.

"I've only ever seen a dragon once, and it was at a distance," she thought aloud. "The girl who owns her, she's from the Fire Nation." Eri suddenly remembered Motie and couldn't help but smile. The girl was so friendly, yet openly feisty and Eri wished she could see Motie more. Eri was much of the same, only she was much shyer than Motie was and it took a bit for Eri to show her feisty side. But when she did, it could get pretty scare and it had a tendency to get things done and done right. That was her mother in her, though.

Eri glanced up at Erolass, realizing for the first time how much taller he was than her. Eri was short for her age - actually, she was quite tiny for her age in general. Almost everyone was taller than her, but she rarely noticed it anymore. He was definitely peculiar and kept her on her toes.

Erolass kept his usual smile upon as his face as they walked through the halls, the paintings and drawings he had made hung from the walls, giving it an animated feel. And the statues he had sculpted stood in corners and on tables that made the hallways seem crowded with humans and animals alike, and frozen as if stuck in stone. "They're life like aren't they?" asked Eldunar, "The statues I mean; each of them was modelled off of someone or something. Not a single sculpture of mine was faked or imagined, they all had real models, even the animals, let me tell you they weren't exactly easy."

Erolass then heard about the girl in the Fire Nation with a dragon, "She must be nobility," said Erolass, "Only nobility or royalty have dragons--I was the exception of course." Erolass wasn't ready for her to know he was the Fire Prince, or A Fire Prince, since there was one other--though technically he was Regent Lord for now. Erolass sighed as he saved himself, and then looked over at Eri, "I may have a surprise for you if you're good with Vrangr," he said, "I'm sure you'd appreciate it."

"A suprise?" she asked, blinking. "Uhm, okay." She smiled up at him and nodded. This Erolass seemed to just keep the surprises rolling.

Eri couldn't seem to focus on anything - there was so much to look at. And it was all so beautiful. This guy had to be at least a noble. Or something. A horse, his own estate, and a dragon? Who was he?

Eri had a simple life: Live with her aunt and uncle and go to air bending training during most of the day. Chores in the evening, and try to not to get into any trouble. Which always seemed inevitable when it came to Eri.

Erolass stopped outside of the door, marked "Medicine." He knocked hard on the door, and a short, old man with white hair answered the door. He put his hands behind his hunched back, and his long crooked nose held his glasses on his face. "Yes?" asked the doctor as he readjusted his glasses, "Ah, Master Erolass, you have returned, ooooh...and with a girl. Is there something you need from--Oh! Perhaps you two were planning on--" Erolass suddenly turned pink, "No! No, no! Nothing like that at all," said Erolass quickly, "She's hurt--Mia did it--and I was wondering if you could take a look at her?"

The doctor eyed the girl, and then opened the door and walked into his room, "Come with me," said the doctor, "Not you Erolass, this is a female's physical, you wait outside. I'll get my nurse to assist me in this." Erolass sighed and the door was slammed in his face. He was used to this by now, Dr. Kidomura was one of the best doctors in the Fire Nation, the down side? He was old and senile, but nonetheless genius.

Erolass closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, he began to imagine painting styles he would use for painting Eri. Erolass was fairly certain she wouldn't mind him painting her next if he persuaded her enough.

Eri's eyes flicked from Erolass' face to the doctor's, and back again. Her own cheeks went slightly pink as what the doctor was referring to dawned upon her.

The next thing she knew, she was being whisked away from Erolass and almost wanted to cling to him for fear of them making her wound hurt even more. Eri could remember a time that she fell from a tree and smacked her arm on a rock. The wound hadn't been pretty and when the healers in the Air Temple tended to it, it hurt more than it was already.

Nonetheless, Eri decided if it did hurt she would have to deal with it one way or another... And trust that Erolass had put her in good hands.

"Uhmm..." she stammered nervously to the doctor. "Thanks."

"Oh yes, it's nothing dear," answered the doctor, "Now go get undressed behind that curtain, my nurse will be in in a minute to heal your wound and give you a full physical. She'll take good care of you, I promise." With that the doctor walked over to the opposite wall--adjacent to the entrance he had come through--where his office was, and left Eri alone to herself until the nurse would arrive.

Erolass waited outside, still thinking of ways to paint Eri, or whether it would be better to sculpt her. He figure and body would be perfect to eternalize in stone or marble, but canvas would be great to work with as well. He could do a surrealist, or maybe a portrait, or a scene...so many options, and before he could discover them all, Eri had returned from her physical.

"How'd it go?" asked Erolass, "He wasn't too cranky was he? He's a good doctor, really he is, he's just getting a little old. I hope you understand."

Eri laughed nervously at Erolass' question.

"It was fine, minus the whole undressing thing..." Her cheeks went a tiny bit pink again and she cleared her throat slightly.

"Uhm, what next?" she asked, running a hand over her hair once more. Yeesh, why couldn't she just relax?

A tiny noise came from her pocket and a gentle smile played on her lips as Kiwi began to climb up the side of her shirt. He made it to her shoulder and perched there and Eri turned her head to look at him.

"Hi, sleepy," she murmured to him and he extended his nose until it just barely touched hers before resting upon her shoulder again. The tiny sugar glider's eyes were large as he took in his new surroundings. "Different, huh, little guy?" Eri smiled once more and lifted a finger to pet the tiny creature's head affectionately.

"He's cute," said Erolass with a smile, "And, I was wondering, would you be interested in lunch? I can have the cook whip something up. Also, I would still like to discuss using you in my next artistic piece, free of charge of course. Infact, Id be willing to pay you for your service to me." Erolass began to walk down the hallway again, "It's this way to the dinning room by the way."

Erolass waited for Eri to catch up with him before continuing to walk down the hall, "After lunch," started Erolass, "And after we discuss the matter of the art, I'll let you meet Vrangr, and give you your surprise. Vrangr should return by then from hunting, and he'll have had his fill, meaning he'll sniff you instead of licking you. Lucky you." Erolass laughed and let out a bright smile, "So, what would you like to eat? I'll let the cook know as soon as we get there."

Eri blinked at Erolass' back as she stopped in the middle of the hallway for a moment. She held up her hands a tiny bit and shook her head.

"No," she replied. "No paying me. I already feel..." She waved her hand and sighed. There were much prettier girls in the air temple than her. Eri was plain.

"Uhm..." she murmured as she caught up, placing a finger to her lips and thinking. "I like bread stuff?" And she did. Whenever her aunt brought home fresh, buttery rolls Eri would eat whatever was left over. She loved anything to do with bread.

"And maybe a tiny piece of fruit? For Kiwi?" He had to be starving after his scare earlier - hence him pawing at a stray strand of Eri's hair and nibbling on it. "He might eat all of my hair if he doesn't get something in that itty stomach of his." Eri laughed softly and grabbed the tiny creature, holding him in her hands. She allowed him to scurry on through, using her hands to form a tunnel for him.

Erolass laughed and nodded, "I'll get you some fresh bread and butter, perhaps some soup as well? You're a vegetarian I assume, since you're Air Kingdom, am I correct?" Erolass continued down the halls, and with another smile added, "For your friend, I shall have a bowl of fresh fruit from each nation brought out, he may eat whichever he finds most appealing. Besides, I have all this fruit and it needs to go somewhere, perhaps you can take some home with you? For Kiwi that is. If he gets hungry in the future." Erolass smiled again and then entered the dinning hall.

It was a large room, with yellow stone walls and red stone floors, it had a high ceiling and a wooden walkway that circled the room around it. The walkway above was another hallway that would lead off onto other rooms and such of the village. Erolass sat down at the large, white cloth covered table in the large, head chair. It was made of ornately carved wood that featured lions, dragons and several swords. "Please, sit next to me," he said, "You are my most esteemed guest right now, please, don't be shy."